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Extremists kidnapped more than 300 Nigerian girls, missing up to 276, police confirm

A girl wearing a T-Shirt with the inscription '' Chibok brings our girls back Alive'' attends a demonstration calling on government to rescue kidnapped school girls of a government secondary school Chibok, during workers day celebration in Lagos, Nigeria. Thursday, May, 1. 2014. AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba Photo: AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Police said Friday the number of kidnapped schoolgirls who remain missing in Nigeria is 276, up by more than 30 from a previous estimate.

They said the actual number abducted by the Islamic extremists on April 14 was more than 300. Police Commissioner Tanko Lawan revised the number of girls and young women who have escaped to 53.

He said the known number of abducted girls rose because students from other schools were brought into one school for final exams last month after all schools in Borno state were shut because of attacks by Islamic extremists. The ability of authorities to get a handle on how many girls were affected was hampered by poor communications, with the military often cutting cellphone service under a state of emergency and travel made dangerous on roads where travellers are frequently attacked by the militants.

“That is why, after the unfortunate incident, there were various numbers flying around,” Lawan said.

The mass abduction comes in conjunction with two bombings in three weeks in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Hundreds of women protested the mass kidnapping in at least three cities this week and the failure of security forces to rescue the girls.

People attend a demonstration calling on government to rescue kidnapped school girls of a government secondary school Chibok, during workers day celebration in Lagos, Nigeria. Thursday, May, 1. 2014. AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba

Women attend a demonstration calling on government to rescue kidnapped school girls of a government secondary school Chibok, during workers day celebration in Lagos, Nigeria. Thursday, May, 1. 2014. AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba

An unidentified mother cries out during a demonstration with others who have daughters among the kidnapped school girls of government secondary school Chibok, Tuesday April 29, 2014, in Abuja, Nigeria. Reports have surfaced that the abducted girls have been forced to marry Islamic extremists. AP Photo/ Gbemiga Olamikan

In this photo taken Monday, April, 21. 2014 four female students of government secondary school Chibok, who were abducted by gunmen and reunited with their families walk in Chibok, Nigeria. AP Photo/ Haruna Umar

In this photo taken Monday, April, 21. 2014. Security walk past burned government secondary school Chibok, were gunmen abducted more than 200 students in Chibok, Nigeria. AP Photo/ Haruna Umar